Thursday, October 21, 2010

When to Complain

Nobody likes to hear complaining, not too many people like to complain either. I’ll admit it, I complain. Sometimes more than I should too. It happens. Sometimes it just slips out and other times I fully mean what I am saying. Generally I do not complain insistently unless something is really up.

Now, complaining every single day about lupus can get old and boring. So I try my best not to. I might state how I am feeling but I don’t sit around and whine about how “my hands, feet, etc hurt, I didn’t get any sleep and tra la la…” Instead I try my best to push it to the side. Most days it works but sometimes there are slip-ups.

I do complain when I notice considerable changes in my lupus. For example, right now I am having the cold from hell and am noticing some of my lupus symptoms have become much much much worse (for those of you who do not know, a cold can = flare very quickly.) This is something to notify your parents or someone you trust about. They need to know so an eye can be kept on it.

Now, this is all fine and dandy, but you have my full permission to tell your doctor how it is. Don’t hold back. Complain like there is no tomorrow. If you are in pain and feeling like crap, make sure your doctor knows. It is important! Not telling your doctor about some symptoms may be life threatening. The best policy is honesty.

Complaining all the time is not a good idea but sometimes it is the right thing to do. Use good judgment and complain away!